DaytonDailyNews.com

Some thoughts and observations about college football, as I wonder when most of the Top 25 will start playing like the Top 25:

• You don't want Thom Brennaman broadcasting your games. Brennaman, who works as the lead play-by-play man for the Big Ten Network, was in the booth for Appalachian State's upset of Michigan and Ohio State's lackluster performance against Akron. On Saturday, he was in Madison when Wisconsin entered the second half tied with The Citadel. The Badgers eventually pulled away and won 45-31.

• Pete Carroll can state the obvious. After his top-ranked USC squad embarrassed No. 14 Nebraska 49-31 in Lincoln, Carroll said to reporters, "Once we got going, geez, we just took control." One of the nice things about Carroll is his innocent forthrightness. He can call a spade a spade, and when he's praising his team, it doesn't sound like gloating. He was just telling the truth.

• Louisville was going to lose, eventually. It happened against Kentucky on Saturday, a 40-34 setback. But it was obvious after the previous week's nervous win against Middle Tennessee State that the Cardinals couldn't become this year's Boise State with that defense. Sure, they've gained an average of 617 yards per game (average!), but opponents have been getting 428.7 per game.

• They know how to run in Division III. Three D-III players are averaging at least 200 yards per game rushing — Robert Heller of Waynesburg (253.5), Andrew Giuliano of Cortland State (247) and Chris Sharpe of Springfield (224). And Heller is a freshman.

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